JOYCE’S EXAMINATION SHOULD NOT BE CODE FOR LESS SPENDING FOR AUSTRALIA’S BIOSECURITY

Posted by Joel Fitzgibbon257.20sc on July 11, 2014

Today’s announcement by Barnaby Joyce that there will be consultation on Australia’s Import Risk Analysis must not be code for less spending for Australia’s biosecurity.

Australia’s green, clean and safe image is vitally important to our export industries and must not fall victim to the Abbott Government’s confected budget emergency.

Barnaby Joyce has spoken about the importance of keeping diseases such as foot and mouth out of Australia due to the devastating impact it would have on our export capacity. But we know that this Government is looking to cut funding across all portfolios and agriculture is not immune.

The agriculture sector needs confidence that support for Australia’s biosecurity will be maintained, but today’s announcement adds further speculation that biosecurity is an area where they are looking to make savings. We've already seen an shift in focus with the proposal to roll biosecurity into the Australian Border Force.